I absolutely believe, somewhere among the billions of undiscovered planets, aliens exist.

Do I believe that they have visited Earth? No.

Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that I believe people who claim otherwise are lying. I think they are simply mistaken. Things seem different at night than in broad daylight. Our mind transforms the world around us, and we become more receptive to the idea of otherworldly phenomenon.

Imagine this scenario. It’s dark and late. You are near a forest, where our primeval fears dwell. The moon or perhaps a flashlight are the only sources of light. Things appear indistinct and different. Suddenly you hear a rustle behind you. You turn around only to catch a glimpse of large eyes set in a gray inhuman face. Startled, you run. That creature, you think when you reflect back on the incident, couldn’t possibly be Earthly.

Yet, what you saw was merely a common barn owl.

Or take claims of Alien Abduction. The common elements are almost always paralysis, a strange environment, and fear. I do not doubt that such incidents feel real to those who experience them. Yet, alien abduction? You’d think there’d be some sort of evidence if spaceships were landing on Earth and aliens were collecting specimens.

The more likely explanation: sleep paralysis. With this condition, you regain consciousness in your own dreams. As you can imagine the sensation is terrifying for those afflicted.

As for the Roswell Incident…well, a crash is reported at an Army Air Field at the start of the Cold War. I think the answer to that is obvious.

However, life beyond our world is a tantalizing concept. I’d be curious to see the unique life forms that have developed on strange worlds, the unique civilizations. We can’t possibly be the only ones here. Of course it’s human nature to seek companionship and to explain the unknown. But on that note, here’s a little food for thought…